Electrically operated kea register



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. KUFP. ELEGTRIGALLY OPERATED KEG REGISTER.

INVENTOH W/TNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEF KUFF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-HALF TO MARY A. RICHTER, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED KEG-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 534,961, dated February 26, 1 895.

' Application filed April 4, 1894. Serial No. 506,269. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,JosEF KUFF, a subject of the German Emperor, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulIrnprovements in Electric Keg-Registers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved electrical keg-register for breweries, by which the [0 number of kegs of each size that are delivered by the elevator to the outgoing wagons are registered in a reliable manner on separate registers, one for quarters, the other for half barrels, and the third for one-sixth barrels, so

that thereby an effective control is obtained for all the outgoing kegs without requiring the special counting of the same as they are delivered to each wagon.

The invention consists of an electric keg- 2o register for breweries which comprises a crankshaft, the cranks at one end of which are operated by the keg as the same is conveyed by the elevator to the shipping wagon, and a connecting rod between the crank-shaft 2 5 and a slide rod, which latter is guided in a suitable casing and adapted to close an electric-circuit by which different electric registers, one for each size of keg are operated. The slide-rod is provided with a pivoted lug 0 that engages a spring actuated contact-pin which is thereby depressed and the circuit closed through the spring contacts. Three pairs of contacts are arranged at certain distances from each other which correspond to 3 5 the distance to which the slide-rod and pivotlug is moved by the kegs of the respective sizes, a larger keg producing a greater rock- I ing of the crank-shaft than a smaller one, so that thereby the corresponding contact and registration are produced.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a keg-elevator, showing my improved electric keg-register arranged in a proper relative position thereto.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal top-view of the supporting-block, the casing, the sliderod and the contact devices operated by the same, drawn on a larger scale. Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical longitudinal sections on line 4 4, Fig. 3, showing the sliding rod respectively in the position of rest, and in the position for actuating one of the contact-devices. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line 6 6, Fig.7, showing a top-view of the contact-devices. Figs. '7 and 8 are respectively vertical sections on lines 7 '7, and 8 8, Figs. 4: and 5.

The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings,A represents an elevator such as is usually used in breweries for raising the kegs and transferring them from one fioor to another.

B is a supporting-stand that is arranged in front of the elevator and is provided with suitable bearings for a rock-shaft C, said rock-shaft carrying at one end a pair of curved arms 0 which by their own weight are dropped into the path of the bucket-arms a of the elevator A, until they arrive and rest on a transverse rod cl which is supported on the stand B, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The rock-shaft C is provided with acrankarm 0 at its opposite end, which is connected by a pivot-rod G with a slide-rod D guided in a casing D supported on a board or block D of a suitable thickness which is attached in vertical position to the wall.

} The slide-rod D is provided in its under side with a suitable recess E, in which is piv- 8o oted an oscillating lug e, and in the ends of the recess, at both sides of the lug, are ar ranged springs e which are in line with each other and with the lug, the inner front ends of the springs being curved outwardly and then inwardly, while their outer ends are at tached to the under side of the recess in the slide-rod D, as shown clearly in Figs. 4 and 5.

The bottom of the casing D is provided with four recesses m, m, m m which are arranged longitudinally therein in line with each other, as shown in Fig. 6, the first recess m serving for receiving the log 6 when the slide-rod D arrives in its normal or initial position. When the slide-rod. is moved up- 9 5 wardly by the action of the rock-shaft O, the lug e passes to one or the other of the remaining recesses m, m m it being pushed, against the action of one of the adjacent springs e, over the bottom of the casing D I00 in an inclined position, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, until it arrives over one of the spring-actuated guide-pins F, that are arranged in the recesses at which time it drops into the same by the action of its spring 6 as shown in Fig. 5. In this position the lug is retained by a lip fwhich projects slightly over the recess, and said lug presses the pin F in recess m downwardly against its spring, so as to form contact between two contact-plates g, g, that are arranged in recesses of the baseboard D as shown clearly in Figs. 7 and S.

A lip f projects over each recess m, m, 077?, m and where they contain the pins F, they serve to hold the latter in place. The outer ends of the contact-springs g, g, are connected with bindingposts g from which conducting wires to extend to three registers R, R R as shown in Fig. 2.

When the downward motion of the slide rod D continues according to the arrow shown in Fig. 5, the lug e is pushed by the action of the lipfagainst the tension of the opposite spring e into a position that is inclined in opposition to that shown in Fig. 4, so that the lug can pass over the intermediate recess m and the head of the spring-actuated pin F in the same until it is returned into the first recessf, into which it drops partly by gravity and by the action of the spring 6. The first recess m which serves for receiving the lug e when the guide-rod D is in its normal or initial position is provided with slightly projecting lipsfandf at each side of the recess, which lips assist to move the lug intoinelined position, so that the same can pass readily in one or the opposite direction over the bottom of the guide-casing D and over the recesses in the said bottom and the heads of the pins in said recesses.

It is obvious that when the keg that is lifted by the elevator and passed above the curved arms C of the rock-shaft O is of smaller diameter, that the slide-rod D is lifted to a less degree than if akeg or other package of larger diameter is raised by the elevator andpassed above the curved arms. WVhen, for instance, a smallerkeg, a so-called sixth is conveyed on a pair of the arms of the elevator, the sliderod D is pushed in upward direction until its lug c arrives above the first pin and pair of contact-springs in the guide-casing D and base-board D The first set of contact-springs will thereby be depressed so that the battery-circuit will be closed and the electric register R be actuated and the keg registered thereon. When the quarter keg is raised on the elevator, the lug e of the slide-rod D passes into engagement with the second pin so that the second set of contact-springs is depressed and the springs placed in contact with each other, the battery-circuit being thus closed, the second electric register R actuated, and the quarter keg registered thereby. hen a half barrel, which is the largest size used in breweries, is conducted by the elevator beyond the arms 0 of the rock-shaft C, the arms are raised to a still greater extent and thereby the slide-rod moved forward sufficiently so that its lug e engages the third or uppermost guide-pin and depresses the same, thus form ing contact of the set of contact-springs below the pin, so that the circuit is closed and a record made by the third register R In this manner through the lifting of the guide-rods by kegs of different diameters, the contactspings corresponding to the respective sizes of the kegs are placed in contact, and thereby each keg, whatever its size, registered on its respective register.

It is obvious that the distance between the sets of contact-springs has to be in proportion to the difference in the diameters of the kegs, so that always a reliable closing of the circuit and the corresponding registering of the kegs are produced. After the register is made the slide-rod returns by means of its own gravity and the weight of the curved arms (3' on the rock-shaft C to the normal or initial position ready for the action of the next keg that is conducted by the elevator past the arms 0.

The registers may be located in the ofiiee of the brewery or any other suitable place, and on which the exact number of kegs that is sent from the brewery from day to day is offectively registered, so that a certain knowledge is obtained from the office of the number of kegs delivered to the driver of each wagon.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of a keg elevator having bucket arms, a rock shaft, arms located in the path of the bucket arms of the elevator and pivoted at their lower ends to said rock shaft, a slide rod connected with one end of the rock shaft, mechanism for guiding said slide rod, contact springs, mechanism in connection with the slide rod for operating said springs, and registers electrically connected with said contact springs, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a keg elevator having bucket arms, of a rock shaft, arms located in the path of the bucket arms of the elevator and pivoted at their lower ends to said rock shaft, a crank connected to one end of the rock shaft, a slide rod connected to the crank, a guide casing for said slide rod, contact springs operated by said slide rod, and electrical registers placed in the circuit with said contact springs so as to register the different sizes of kegs that are raised by the elevator beyond the arms of the rock shaft, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a keg elevator hav ing bucket arms, of a rock shaft, arms extending into the path of the bucket arms of the elevator and pivoted at their lower ends to said rock shaft, a stop rod for the arms of the rock shaft, a crank pivoted to one end of the rock shaft, a slide rod, mechanism for connecting the slide rod with said crank, a guide casing for said slide rod, contact devices operated by the slide rod, electric registers and electrical connections between the contact devices and the registers, substantially as de scribed.

4. In an electric keg-register for breweries, the combination, with a recessed guide casin g, a reciprocating slide-rod therein provided with apivoted-lug, and springs located at each side of said lug, of spring-actuated pins located in the recesses of the guide-casing, and sets of contact springs located below the springs in recesses of the base-board of the casing, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electric keg-register for breweries, the combination, with a casing, a reciprocating slide-rod therein provided with a recess at its under side, alug pivoted in said recess, and springs the front ends of which are arranged adjacent to the lug and in line with the same, said casing having a recess for receiving the lug when the slide-rod is in its normal position and additional recesses in the bottom of the guide-casing, of spring-actuated pins located in said additional recesses, and contact-springs below said pins located in recesses of the base-board of the casing, substantially as set forth.

6. In an electric keg register, the combination of a guide casing provided with recesses, projecting lips on the upper edges of said recesses, a reciprocating slide rod in said cas ing and provided with a pivoted lug, springs located at each side of said lug, spring actuated pins located in the recesses of the guide casing, and sets of contact springs located below the springs in the recesses, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J OSEF KUFF.

Witnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, K. R. BRENNAN. 

